Yorktown, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yorktown, New York
Town
Town of Yorktown
Amawalk Friends Meeting House
Flag Seal
Motto(s):  Progress with Preservation
Location of Yorktown, New York
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Westchester
Government
• Type	Town Council
Area
• Total	39.35 sq mi (101.90 km2)
• Land	36.76 sq mi (95.21 km2)
• Water	2.59 sq mi (6.70 km2)
Elevation	459 ft (140 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	36,569
• Estimate  (2022)	35,545
• Density	994.8/sq mi (384.1/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	10598
Area code(s)	914
FIPS code	36-84077
GNIS feature ID	0979663
Website	yorktownny.org

Yorktown is a town located on the northern edge of Westchester County, New York, in the United States. It is a suburb of the New York City metropolitan area. Yorktown is about 38 miles north of midtown Manhattan. In 2020, the population was 36,569 people.

A Look at Yorktown's History

Yorktown has a very interesting past. It was first home to groups of Wappinger people, including the Kitchawank. Much of Yorktown was once part of the Manor of Cortlandt. This was a large area of land given by King William III to the Van Cortlandt family.

The Croton River flows through the southern part of Yorktown. This river was dammed to give New York City its first big source of clean water. The first Croton Dam was in Yorktown. It broke in 1842, causing a lot of damage and loss of life.

First Presbyterian Church of Yorktown in Crompond

During the American Revolution, Yorktown did not see much fighting. Later in the war, the Pines Bridge crossing of the Croton River was guarded. It was protected by the 1st Rhode Island Regiment. This group included White, African American, and Native American soldiers. On May 14, 1781, some soldiers were killed at the Battle of Pine's Bridge. This included their leader, Colonel Christopher Greene. A memorial was built at the Presbyterian Church in Crompond, New York.

Major John André, a British officer, had his last meal at the Underhill House. This was just before he was captured and later hanged as a spy.

In 1788, the area officially became the town of Yorktown. This name honored the important victory of the Franco-American siege of Yorktown. This battle happened near Yorktown, Virginia, on October 19, 1781. Before this, the area was called Hanover. This name was linked to King George III, which people no longer wanted after the war.

After the Battle of Yorktown, the French army camped where French Hill Elementary School is today. Cannonballs and other old items have been found there. While some stories say George Washington visited Yorktown, there are no official records to prove it.

In 1988, a committee looked at the town's historic sites. They decided which ones should be saved for the future.

Yorktown's Geography

Yorktown is bordered by several other towns. To the north is Putnam Valley in Putnam County. To the east is Somers. To the south is New Castle. To the west is Cortlandt.

The town covers about 39.3 square miles (101.9 square kilometers). Most of this is land (36.8 sq mi or 95.2 sq km). About 2.6 square miles (6.7 sq km) is water.

Weather in Yorktown

Who Lives in Yorktown?

In 2000, there were 36,318 people living in Yorktown. There were 12,556 households and 9,831 families. The population density was about 990 people per square mile.

Many different groups of people live in Yorktown. These include Italians, Mexicans, and American Jews. There is a yearly "Feast of San Gennaro" that celebrates the Italian community. Other groups include Irish, Japanese, and African-Americans.

Communities and Neighborhoods

Yorktown has five main business areas called hamlets. These are Mohegan Lake, Shrub Oak, Jefferson Valley, Crompond, and Yorktown Heights. The town also has twelve unique historical neighborhoods.

Hamlets

• Lake Mohegan
• Shrub Oak
• Jefferson Valley-Yorktown
• Crompond (partially in Cortlandt)
• Yorktown Heights

Historical Neighborhoods

• Copper Beech/Oakside
• Croton Heights
• Manhattan Park
• Crow Hill
• Huntersville/Hunterbrook
• Kitchawan/Pinesbridge
• Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park (formerly Mohansic Park)
• Quarry/Stony Street
• Sparkle Lake/Cottage Farms
• Teatown (not completely in Yorktown)
• Turkey Hill/Underhill Heights
• Yorkhill/Amawalk Nursery
• Yorktown

Education in Yorktown

Four school districts serve the town of Yorktown. These are the Yorktown Central School District, Lakeland Central School District, Croton-Harmon Union Free School District, and Ossining Union Free School District.

The Yorktown School District covers a large part of Yorktown. It also includes small parts of Cortlandt and New Castle. This district has two elementary schools for grades K-3. It has one elementary school for grades 4-5. There is one middle school for grades 6-8 and one high school for grades 9-12.

The Lakeland School District is in the northwest part of Westchester County. It includes parts of six towns. These are Yorktown, Cortlandt, and Somers in Westchester County. It also includes Carmel, Philipstown, and Putnam Valley in Putnam County. Lakeland has five elementary schools (K-5), one middle school (6-8), and two high schools (9-12). It also has the Lakeland Alternative High School.

The Croton-Harmon School District covers parts of Cortlandt, Yorktown, and Ossining. It also includes the village of Croton-on-Hudson. About 1,700 students attend schools in this district. It has one elementary school (K-4), one middle school (5-8), and one high school (9-12).

The Ossining Union Free School District covers parts of Yorktown, New Castle, Briarcliff Manor, Ossining, and the Village of Ossining. This district has the Park Early childhood center. This center has programs for young children from birth to age four, pre-kindergarten, and kindergarten. It also has one elementary school for grades 1-2, another for grades 3-4, and one for grade 5. There is one middle school for grades 6-8 and one high school for grades 9-12.

Businesses in Yorktown

IBM's Watson computer at the Thomas J. Watson Research Center

The main office for Contractors Register is in Jefferson Valley. This company publishes The Blue Book of Building and Construction.

The main location of the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center is in the Kitchawan part of Yorktown. This is a famous research center.

The regional bank PCSB Bank has its main office in Yorktown Heights.

Shopping and Commerce

Jefferson Valley Mall is the main shopping center in the area. It is located in Yorktown, in the hamlet of Jefferson Valley.

Parks and Nature

Yorktown has several state parks. These include Donald J. Trump State Park (with north and south sections) and Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park.

There are also many local parks:

• Downing Park
• Granite Knolls Park
• Hilltop Hanover Farm & Environmental Center
• Kitchawan Preserve
• Part of the North County Trailway (also called the Empire State Trailway)
• Patriot Park
• Railroad Park
• Sylvan Glen Park Preserve
• Teatown Lake Reservation (partially in Cortlandt and New Castle)
• Turkey Mountain Nature Preserve
• Woodlands Legacy Fields Park

Train Stops

The Tudor Revival Yorktown Heights station

Yorktown once had five train stations. They were along the New York and Putnam Railroad. These stations were Kitchawan, Croton Lake, Croton Heights, Yorktown Heights, and Amawalk. The New York Central Railroad bought this line. It ran until the early 1960s. Changes in how people vacationed and the rise of cars ended the train service.

The old train tracks are now part of the North County Trailway. This trail goes north to Carmel, New York. Yorktown does not have train service anymore. However, there are Metro-North Railroad stations nearby. These are in Katonah to the east and Peekskill to the west.

One of the old New York Central stations has been restored. It is now the center of a small town park.

Fun Events

• Feast of San Gennaro: A yearly celebration of Italian culture.
• Yorktown Grange Fair: A traditional fair with exhibits and activities.
• Battle of Yorktown: A yearly event in April to clean up litter.
• Greasestock: A festival that shows off vehicles that use alternative fuels.

Famous People from Yorktown

Many notable people have lived in or are from Yorktown:

• Roy Colsey: A professional Major League Lacrosse player who grew up here.
• Nargis Fakhri: A Bollywood actress who owns a house in Yorktown.
• Susan Faludi: An American writer and journalist who won a Pulitzer Prize. She grew up in Yorktown.
• Charlie Gasparino: An American financial journalist.
• Robert Hannsen: Lived with his family in Yorktown in the mid-1980s.
• Margaret Illington: A stage actress from the early 1900s. She lived on her Dreamlake estate in Yorktown.
• Consuelo Kanaga: A photographer and writer known for her photos of African-Americans.
• Andrew Kavovit: An actor who grew up in Yorktown.
• Dave Matthews: A singer and songwriter. He lived in Yorktown with his family before moving to Virginia.
• William Keepers Maxwell Jr.: A fiction editor for The New Yorker and a novelist.
• Terrence Murphy: A former New York State Senator.
• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: A Congresswoman. She moved to Yorktown when she was five and went to Yorktown High School.
• Buster Olney: An ESPN baseball analyst.
• Clifford A. Pickover: A writer. He used Yorktown as inspiration for places in his books.
• Al Roker: A meteorologist. He lived in Yorktown when he was married to the town clerk.
• Anthony "Romeo" Santos: A Dominican-American singer and lead singer of the band Aventura.
• Matt Slater: An American politician and former Town Supervisor of Yorktown.
• Lawrence Treat: A mystery writer who helped create the police procedural genre.
• Halsey (H.W.) Wilson: The founder of the H. W. Wilson Company, a publisher. He lived in the Croton Heights area of Yorktown.

See Also

In Spanish: Yorktown (Nueva York) para niños